Yes, we all need emotional intelligence!

I have enjoyed conversations with our Senior Pastor Happy Leman about the importance of managing ourselves. 

At the very least, this kind of self-management means setting high standards for our own behavior and holding ourselves accountable.  It also means having — or learning — what are commonly known as "people skills."  Happy has said more than once, "It’s so important to know yourself.  You’ll save yourself a lot of pain if you know yourself." 

I think he’s right.  All of us need this kind of knowing — or emotional intelligence — in at least four domains:  Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.

In self-awareness, do you have an honest handle on your own strengths and weaknesses, especially in church leadership?

In self-management, do you have the ability to control your emotions,  or do they often get the better of you?

In social awareness, do you have the ability to read the emotions of others?  Do your words and actions lead people to believe you are working in their best interest?

And in relationship management, do you provide feedback, guidance and inspiration to others?

If you were to give your immediate family members or those in the church with whom you serve a questionnaire asking questions about your emotional intelligence, or emotional maturity, how would you be evaluated? 

Emotionally, what area do you need to work on the most in the next month?  (For me, I need to quit jumping to wrong conclusions while others reason clearly.) You know as well as I that if we want to be winners — where we work, in our family, and in our church — we must manage ourselves well, so we can in turn lead others.

Here’s to a holiday season of growing emotional intelligence!